U.S.A. v. Sean Gossman (USA)

Sean Gossman is a Man who identifies as a Woman who pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography. His public defender asked for a minimum five-year prison term in a memorandum filed in February. Rafael Villarruel of Detroit argued Gossman may not be safe in a male prison as a transgender person who has lived as a female since he was 17 years old.

“The idea of being placed in a male facility is somewhat frightening for Sean Gossman, as he has been taunted and made to feel like a freak by other inmates,” Villarruel stated in the sentencing memorandum.

Gossman indicated to law enforcement that wanted videos that were not staged; videos that depicted real children subjected to true acts of rape and sexual abuse. He also “participated in underground forums and conversations on the Internet. Within these forums, participants embolden each other by talking about their common interests in child pornography. This creates the effect where participants feel that the images and videos of child pornography are like baseball cards; something to trade and collect for their own personal enjoyment. In the end, the participants are using the child pornography for their own sexual gratification without regard to anything else. These forums throw fuel on the fire for individuals seeking child pornography.”